The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-07-29
A TALE OF ARMY BRUTALITY.
Claiming to be a New York Clerk I'm.
priSoned for Another Mans Crime.
EFrom the Mem YORK sun.


prisoned for Another Mans Crime.
sFrone the New York sun.
CHICAGO, July 25.-William j. Manning
is staying at one Of the principal hotels.
To a reporter to-day he related this tale:
On the evening of Nov 16 last left Dor
lands, i'll Twenty third street, where | was
employed in New York, and went to Del
mOnicO'S uptown place to have some oysters.
l was approached by a well-dressed man
who acted politely and in a way that led me
to think that he had seen me before. He
addressed me cautiously and inquired
my NAME which / gave him freely.
Your address, please he said.
''Dorlands, in Twenty third street, )" re-
piled. He made note Of my answers and
said, abruptly, Good evening" ''Good
evening, sir" said !, in distracted kind OF
a way, for | was mystitied by the sudden
ness of the well-dressed stranger, who had
forgotten to leave me his name. Next day
| received u message requesting me to call
at No So West street, New York. Won
dering what it meant, | went without loss
of time to the place indicated in the note.
1t proved to be the branch Office of the
United States Army recruiting depot. On
the door was a small placarG with the in
scrption:
apply here for enlistment" Here's
some fun, thought. I'll request to be en-
listed in the army, just for joke.
1.-THE Sergeant in the outer office received
me cOldly, and when | told him | wanted to
be soldier he looked me over carefully.
| When that ordeal was over he declared |
was too small. Then he said it was too late
| in the day, and to come around tomorrow.
| [ insisted on being taken then aud there, for
was bent ON finding out something about
my mysterious letter.
''Well, y he said, come in" and ] entered
| a poorly furnished Office where an officer in
| Uniform sat at a desk. The examining
physician was also there. When | explained
my mission the doctor laughed, and said:
"Why, my boy, you are too young and
not big enough to be real soldier. You
| can't enlist"
"Gentlemen," said /, 81 do not want to
! enlist. but came here to demand an explana-
! ton of this letter. whereupon | produced
| the note
The officer read the note, and said: 81
know that writing" and then he called a
Sergeant. The Sergeant, whose name was
| Tom" BARLEY, of the regular army, re
sponded to the call. and i'm him recognized
/ the person who had addressed mo ut Del
mOnicO's.
Sergeant, do you know this lad| asked
the officer in command.
"Know him! Well, should say so. He's
q dcserter. He ran away from the army
foui. wears AGO. He was then in the recruit
inc rendezvous at Jefferson Barracks, Mo"
He laid his hands on my shoulder and
dramatically told me that | was his priso-
ncr. TO say that l was thunderstruck
would not describe my feelings. | almost
tainted. so great was the shock OF course,
dcnied the charge and declared that | had
never been in the army and never wanted 20
he. called their attention TO the fact that
four years ago was only II years old. The
head officer said he would have to act on the
word of the Sergeant and / must remain
under arrest until they could get the de-
scription list from Jefferson Barracks.
"Sut this Is an outrage" / said; Ito con-
fine me Is the same as kidnapping"
They oil laughed at me and said that ives
the way DISORDERS always talked. Still pro
testing. I WINS hordcuffed and taken over TO
Governors Island. Ny clothes wsre taken
away from me and an old blue uniform
ulaced at my disposal. l was put TO work
with a gang of military convicts on sea
wall. where / was compelled to labor in
water up to my knees J. could not quit
work, under penalty Of being shot by a
guard who stood over me with cooked re-
Solver. In two weeks time | was sent TO
Jefferson barracks, where was thrown into
n filthy prison with thirty other prisoners.
They locked underground shacklcs TO my
ankles. | had to work at hard labor, CON
gtnntly under guard One night ! was
abused and made sport of by men for whom